Agraffe for pianos



(No Model.)

G. J. GOUOHOIS.

AGRAFFE FOR PIANOS.

Patented Sept. 8, 1885.-

J MM

R5. PlmlwLilhogr-aphln wahi nnnnnnn c.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GARRETT J. OOUOHOIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AGRAFFE FOR PIANOS.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,020, dated September 8, 1885.

7 Application filed July 14, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GARRETT J. Cooorrors, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ghi- 'cago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois,

secured in a stationary position upon the frame, and provided with ventpassages for the strings, so that between the bridge and the pin a bend shall be given to the string, which, by taking a bight on the agraffe, will prevent the transmission of the vibrations beyond such bend or bight. In tuning up a piano in which an agraife of such construction is employed, there will be a greater tension on the string between the agra'ffe and the pin than upon the main length of the string, by reason of the frictional contact between the string and the agraffe, it being found that in order to prevent the transmission of the vibrations to the end portions of the string, so far as has heretofore been found practicable, the string must take a firm bight upon the agraffe, and hence the string will, after being tuned up, have a greater degree of tension between the agraffe and the pin than on the main body or length of the string, and so that as a result there will be a gradual slipping of the string through the agraffe by reason of the tendency on the part of the string'to equalize the tension at both sides of the agraffe, in which way the piano will become more orless outof tune; also, in pianos as now constructed the pin block or blocks, 011 which the tuning-pins are set, frequently split by reason of the sudden excess of strain thereon induced by a hard sharp blow upon a string or strings.

It is the object of my invention to obviate such objectionable features, and to provide an improved construction of agrafle by means of which, while the string is being tuned up or down, its bearing on the agraffe shall adjust itself with the end movement of the string, whereby an equal tension shall be preserved throughout the string, and at the same time the string have upon such bearing a bight sufficient to prevent the transmission of the vertical vibration of the string from one to the other side of the agraffe; also, to pro vide an agraffe with self-adjusting bearings for the strings and means whereby, after the strings have been tuned to the required pitch, the said bearings can be rigidly secured in position, so as to prevent any liability of rattling on the part of the agraffe or of vibrations at the end portions of the string; also, to provide in an agraffe an improved construction of passage in a sliding bearing for the string, whereby the latter can be readily applied to the agraffe and caused to take a firm and effective bight thereon, so that after the strings have been tuned and the sliding bearing rigidly secured in or on the case or bearing in or on which it works the string shall be kept in tune even if the tuning-pin should become loosened or run down. These objects I attain by the device hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of an agraffe embodying my invention, a portion only of the long curved casing and a few of the sliding bearings being illustrated. Fig. 2 is an end View of the said device seated upon a portion of the frame of a piano, in which view the frame is represented as adapted to provide a block or bearing for the tuning-pins. Figs. 3 and 4, respectively, represent opposite side views of one of the sliding self-adjusting bearings with a string passing through the same. Fig. 5 is a plan of the bottom edge of the said sliding bearing. Fig. 6 is a section taken transversely through the agraffe shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an end view of one of the sliding bearings.

In the drawings, A indicates an oblong curved frame or casing, which is open at its sides and provided with a suitable base or flange by which it can be secured to the frame of the piano. This casing is provided with a set of slides, B, adapted to constitute bearings for the strings. These slides are arranged side by side in a set within the casing, the set or series being, however, interrupted at intervals-as, for example, between each successive three-by a partition, 0, formed transversely within the oblong casing, in which way the sliding bearings can be better adapted to the curvature of the casing, and also be allowed to work more freely and effectively, than if the entire series should be set in a curved line without the intervening partition.

The sliding bearings consist each of a block or plate provided with a bent or angular passage for a string, which latter, being passed through said passage, will take a bight upon the sliding or self-adjusting hearing. In this way when any one of the pins D is turned so as to vary the pitch of the string the sliding bearing will move with the latter to such extent as the string is drawn or allowed to slacken, and hence the tension on the string will be the same at both ends of the sliding bearing.

The casing is provided with a series of setscrews, E, for securing the sliding bearings after the strings have been tuned, so that the bearings will be prevented from rattling.

As an efficient construction of passage for a string through the sliding hearing, I provide the latter with a pair of channels, F, respectively, formed on opposite sides of the slide, and converging from points near the upper corners of the slide to a point intermediate of the ends of the latter, at which point the channels are connected together by a short channel, F, formed diagonally across the bottom edge of the slide. The upper terminals of the channels F run into holes F", formed through the slide, which holes continue from the channels and terminate at the ends of the slide near the upper corners thereof, as seen in dotted lines, said holes being arranged at opposite sides of a plane taken centrally and longitudinally through the slide. The holes serve to guide the string to the channels, and also prevent the strings from working laterally out from the slide, while the converging channels serve to allow the string to be more read il y threaded through the angular passage formedthrough the slide by the holes and the said channels. The string passing through a passage thus formed in any one of the slides will have a bend or bight sufficient to prevent the transmission of vibrations from one to the other end of the sliding bearing, and after the string has been brought to the propertension or pitch the sliding bearing can be held in rigid connection with the case or bearing for the slide by turning down the setscrew allotted for such slide.

By forming the passage through the sliding bearing, as herein described, it will be impossible for the string to slip through the bearing unless the string is relieved from all tension, in which way the piano will keep in tune, even if the tuningpin should become considerably loosened or run down to any extent. It will also be observed that by giving the string a iirm bight, as hereinbefore described, and thereby preventing the vibrations extending along the string to a point between the agraft'e and the string, the obj ectionablewhistling sound so common in pianos now in use is effectually prevented, and also that by thus having the string firmly held by the agraffe an increase in the volume of tone is obtained.

In conclusion, it should be stated that after a piano provided with an agraii'e of the character herein shown and described has been once strung and tuned any subsequent tuning will require so slight a movement of the sliding bearing that its further adjustment upon the string will be unnecessary, and also that the life of the string will be prolonged, since, in case the string becomes weakened by age .and constant tension, there will not be the 7 same strain on the string in tuning as where the string to be tuned must be drawn through a stationary bearing, as in the ordinary stationary agraffe. Moreover, by providing the agraft'e with an adjustable bearing adapted to firmly hold the string, the bearing, after being secured in position, will prevent the eX- pansion or contraction of the strings from changes of temperature, from causing such strain upon the pin-block as will result in pi anos where the string is capable of slipping through the agraffe.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An individual agraffe for each string of a note, provided with aself-adjusting bearing for the string, whereby, when the string is tightened or relaxed, the bearing shall move with the string independently of the adjacent bearing, thereby permitting a uniform tension throughout such string, as described.

2. An agrafl'e provided with a self-adjusting bearing for the string, combined with means for securing the said bearing in its adj ustment, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in an agral'fc, of the case with the sliding bearings, provided with bent angular passages for the strings and working through said case, substantially as described.

4. In an agraffe, the oblong curved case, in combination with the sliding bearings for the strings and the set-screws for securing the sliding bearings after the strings have been tuned, substantially as described.

5. In an agraife, the sliding bearing for a string, provided with the passages converging from the ends to the middle portion of one edge of the said bearing, substantially as described.

6. In an agraffe, the sliding bearing for a string, )rovided with the passages and converging from the ends of the bearing to a diagonal channel substantially intermediate of the ends of the sliding bearing, substantially as described.

7. In an agrafl'e, the sliding bearing for a string, provided with anangular passage com posed of channels formed on opposite sides of the sliding bearing, and holes formed through the latter from its ends, substantially as described.

GARRETT J. COUOIIOIS.

'Witnesses:

J NO. G. ELLIOTT, XV. W. ELLIOTT.

ICC 

